Markets for Storm Damaged Trees

Many trees in the path of the July 24th tornado that hit New Hampshire were destroyed, many damaged, many will not survive, and many more suffered damage that will eventually kill them or decrease their vigor. Those driving through the storm-ravaged areas can see trees that are tipped over, broken off, split, twisted or on the ground surrounded by piles of branches and leaves. Along roads, many of the trees lay atop stone walls and are tangled with power lines. The danger from unstable, damaged trees is obvious to anyone viewing the destruction. Therefore, it is no surprise the cleanup will be a challenge and must be done in a safe and careful manner.

Under normal conditions, most harvested trees have commercial value either as logs destined for the sawmill, pulpwood for papermaking, or firewood or chips providing heat and energy. Each product requires processing with specialized equipment, which in the era of high fuel costs, is expensive. These businesses also need to be adequately insured to cover their personnel and equipment. Harvesting timber is expensive in the best of conditions but due to the added cost of operating in down and tangled timber the cost of retrieving the wood may exceed its value as a wood product. Operating in storm-damaged woodlots is slow and frustrating.

How is a landowner to know if their damaged wood has value?

Even a trained professional forester or logger may not be sure because each tree and stem must be assessed as it is retrieved from the mess. When trees are broken, split, or crushed, the wood fiber is often shattered resulting in lumber which either falls apart in the sawmill or produces boards with splits in them. Logs produced from such trees may look fine but for a sawmill to purchase such wood is a risky endeavor. Wood will also begin to stain as it sit in the heat and humidity. The wood may still have value as pulpwood, firewood or chips.

The accessibility of the storm damaged wood to a road is also important to its eventual salvage. Maneuvering through downed trees is time consuming and uses more fuel. Other considerations include the proximity to wetlands, ponds or streams; the steepness of the terrain; the presence of stonewalls; the visibility of boundary lines; the amount of wood available, as well as the species. While the wood does have value the value may not be enough to cover the cleanup.

So, what is a landowner to do?

• Wait until things settle down and decide what you want to do.
• Consider engaging a licensed forester or logger to give you advice.
• If you choose to salvage, make sure you get quotes from at least three operators.
• Have a written contract.
• Check references, ask around.
• Make sure the contractor is fully insured; ask for certificates from the insurance carrier, not the contractor.
• Ask about the contractor’s safety and employee training program.
• Don’t fall for the “I’ll remove all the wood for free”. There is no free lunch!

Other considerations:

Much of the storm-damaged wood is roadside which leaves it vulnerable to theft. With the high cost of heating fuel and the escalating price for firewood, the temptation may be great for some to steal wood along the roads. Wood along the roadside is owned by someone therefore permission is required to remove it.